Sternberg, Zimmer on Steinbrenner

Reaction from Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg and senior advisor Don Zimmer, provided by the Rays, on the passing of George Steinbrenner:

From Sternberg: “George Steinbrenner’s impact on both the game of baseball and in the Tampa Bay community will have an everlasting effect on us all. We send our deepest sympathies to the Steinbrenner family and the Yankees organization.”

From Zimmer: "I would prefer to remember him just as he was the first time I met him. I was managing the Red Sox and sitting in the dugout several hours before a game at Yankee Stadium. He was on the mound in a white shirt pitching batting practice to his son. A father throwing to his son. “His impact on the game is impossible to measure. If you were a Yankee fan there was no better owner because he would do anything at any cost to put the best team on the field. “My deepest sympathies go out to his family.”

About the blog

The Tampa Bay Rays will head into the 2015 season with Evan Longoria, Chris Archer, Alex Cobb and plenty of new faces, including manager Kevin Cash. Can they upend the Orioles in the highly competitive AL East? Come here to follow Rays news at Tropicana Field and beyond.